ILOILO CITY – Three executives of a hospital in Pavia, Iloilo have been indicted by the court for unpaid medical equipment.
In a June 22 resolution released only this week, the Mandaluyong Office of the City Prosecutor indicted Maria Rosario Lopez, Fritzie Edna Garrido, and Maria Vejaya Garillos of the Holy Mary Women and Children’s Hospital for two counts of estafa.
The case stemmed from the criminal complaint filed by medical company Medilines Distributors Inc. against the trio: Lopez as the hospital’s chief executive officer, Garrido as the finance director, and Garillos as the purchasing officer.
The case stemmed from two separate procurements made by Holy Mary Women and Children’s Hospital in 2017. The first batch was an P8.7-million purchase and the second was worth P5 million.
Represented by Ilonggo lawyers Emmanuel Brotarlo and Noel Palomado, Medilines Distributors complained that it was defrauded by the three hospital executives when the equipment that has already been delivered to the hospital was not fully paid.
The three hospital executives initiated the 30 percent down payment and the remaining 70 percent of the purchase made would be paid in equal installments via post-dated checks once delivered.
However, Medilines did not receive any post-dated checks for the remaining unpaid amount. “Criminal malevolence speaks loudly against respondents (Lopez, Garrido, and Garillos) for their apparent one of intent to be bound at all,” said in the indictment penned by Senior Prosecutor Nonatus Ortiz.
Of the trio, Garillos claimed she has no liability as she only prepared the purchase orders upon the request of Lopez.